The present invention generally relates to service and maintenance of equipment, especially household appliances, and, more particularly, is concerned with an information gathering system for remotely monitoring and diagnosing the condition of such equipment.
Most household appliances, such as dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers and the like, historically are relatively low cost products and have operated dependably and reliably over long periods of use without significant problems. However, household appliances have to be used frequently so breakdowns, though occurring infrequently, cause considerable inconvenience due to their disruption of daily household routines. Delays normally expected and experienced in scheduling service calls only add to this inconvenience.
Over the years it has been difficult to devise a cost-effective way to reduce the inconvenience and delay associated with household appliance breakdowns and repair. Proposals for arranging periodic service calls to check the condition of the household appliances and perform preventive maintenance before breakdowns occur are deemed to be too expensive for consumers and thus an unacceptable solution to this problem.
Consequently, a need still exists for an innovation which will provide a cost-effective solution to the aforementioned problem.
The present invention provides an information gathering system designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The information gathering system of the present invention remotely monitors and diagnoses the condition of the equipment. The system employs a detachable electronic module that is easy to use to electronically gather information that is necessary to monitor and diagnose low cost products, such as household appliances, which do not justify monitoring via a permanent connection to either a telephone or the Internet.
In an embodiment of the present invention, an information gathering system for remotely monitoring and diagnosing the condition of equipment is provided which comprises: means for sensing and electronically storing an indication of the condition of monitored equipment; an electronic module removably connectible with the sensing and storing means and operable to electronically receive and record the indication, the electronic module also removably connectible with a telephone outlet and capable of sensing connection with the telephone outlet and being preprogrammed to call a predetermined telephone number in response to sensing the connection; and means in the form of a data processor unit for responding to the call at a service provider location and in response thereto for downloading and analyzing the equipment condition indication so as to provide an output of a recommended course of action to be taken in order to maintain the equipment in operative condition.
The means for sensing and electronically storing the equipment condition indication includes at least one sensor and an electronic controller. The sensor is connectible with the monitored equipment and operable to produce an electrical signal in response to operation of the monitored equipment that provides the indication of the condition of the monitored equipment. The electronic controller is connected to the sensor and operable to receive the electrical signal produced by the sensor, store the electrical signal and produce an output electronically representative of the electrical signal.
The electronic module includes an electronic memory, a communications interface having a telephone plug connectible with the telephone outlet, and a control circuit between and interconnected with the electronic memory and communications interface. The electronic memory is preprogrammed to store the predetermined telephone number. The communications interface is operable to sense a dial tone in response to connection of the telephone plug with the telephone outlet. The control circuit is connectible with the electronic controller and operable to receive and store the equipment condition indication signal and to cause generation of the predetermined telephone number by the electronic memory and to transmit the generated predetermined telephone number and the stored equipment condition indication signal to the telephone outlet via the communications interface and the telephone plug thereof.